Earlier in the year, I introduced you to Oriane Pick and Rachel Mariam through their web series Call it a Day. While they are still working their way through the festival circuit with the series, they have remained busy. Most recently, they have turned their attention toward trying to help break the stigmas that surround schizophrenia through their short film I Am.

According to the film description, Gabi is a young woman suffering from schizophrenia who is about to move in with her boyfriend. What should be an exciting time in her life is complicated by the fact that he is not aware of her condition and she is terrified by the idea of him finding out and leaving her.

I could spend some time speculating about the film but I’ll let the ladies and their team tell you about it themselves.

(Embedding the video did not work for some reason so hit the link: I am Video)

One thing you may have noticed is the strong female presence behind the camera on this project. With Oriane starring, Rachel writing, and award-winning director Ludovica Musumeci (Mens Sana) behind the camera this is a woman powered operation from top to bottom.

Having a family with a long history of mental illness and having dealt with those stigmas first-hand, I understand the importance of stories like I Am. The more stories there are about people living with mental illness that come from an empathetic point of view, the better off we all are as a society.

That’s where you come in. The project is still in the early stages and to get to the finish line the team is seeking funds to help. A portion of all pledges will be donated to charities that tie into the idea behind the film in raising awareness about mental health.

To learn more about the project and potentially make a pledge toward this campaign, hit the link: https://greenlit.fund/project/i-am.

If Call it a Day is any indication of the work we’re going to be getting then this project should become something special.